


Shiver

by cherrywoods



Category: Death Note (Anime & Manga)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-14
Updated: 2020-10-14
Packaged: 2021-03-08 19:48:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,600
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27002260
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cherrywoods/pseuds/cherrywoods
Summary: Mello discovers what Beyond has been planning.
Kudos: 11





	Shiver

**Author's Note:**

> I headcanon B having a received pronunciation accent.

Every light in the orphanage was off, the only light was the midnight moon shining through the windows. The late hour didn't necessarily mean everyone was asleep. The brilliant minds of the children in the orphanage never rested. In one room in particular, the clicking sounds of buttons on a video game and a pen furiously writing on paper preoccupied their desire to sleep. 

"Hey Mello, want to be a pal and get me a snack? I'll let you get something too."

Mello didn't take his eyes off his paper, he was engrossed in a short story he was writing.

"How generous of you."

Matt shot a toothy, mischievous grin at his friend.   
  
"How about you get me some of B's jam? I want whatever power he thinks he gets from eating it." 

Mello crumpled up a piece of paper and threw it at Matt's head. Matt snickered, ducking just in time for the paper to fly over his head.

"Shut up, that's not why he eats it. Maybe he just likes jam. I don't eat chocolate because I think it gives me powers." 

"You're not weird like B. Everyone is scared of him." 

"I'm not scared of him. I... I actually look up to him." 

Matt's jaw dropped, a befuddled look plastered on his face. He shook his head in disbelief.

"I don't even want to know. Just go get me a snack, I'm starving." 

Mello laid his pen down, giving up on finishing his story tonight. He slowly pushed his chair into his desk and started to walk out of the room.

"Thanks, I owe you one!" 

"Yeah whatever."

The silence in the hallway was overwhelming, his steps were inaudible. He felt like an intruder coming to take something that didn't belong to him. As he got closer to the kitchen the silence was broken by the sound of someone rustling through the fridge. Maybe he wasn't the intruder after all. 

He froze and quietly slid back towards the wall. He peeked his head around to get a glimpse at who was making so much noise. The door of the fridge blocked most of the figure. All he could make out in the darkness was the baggy blue jeans he was wearing and his toes wiggling against the floor in anticipation. When the figure finally appeared from behind the fridge Mello accidentally let out a small gasp, it was B. He quickly covered his mouth, hoping B didn't hear him.

_What am I doing? I don't have to hide from him. He's not going to do anything to me but he looks creepy standing in the dark._

"You can come out Mello."

The chilling sound of B's voice made his heart stop. 

_How did he know I was in here? Did he hear me gasp?_

Mello stepped out from behind the wall, nervously wringing his fingers together.

"S-sorry, I wasn't hiding from you I swear. I just didn't know if you wanted to be left alone."

B reached over and ruffled Mello's hair. Mello scrunched his nose and closed his eyes in response. 

"Why are you awake so late at night? Are you having nightmares?"

B couldn't protect himself from his own nightmares but he would do anything to keep nightmares away from the people he cared about.

"No, nothing like that. Why are you awake so late?" 

B smirked at Mello's question.

"I can do what I want, I'm old enough to stay awake."

Mello furrowed his brows and glared up at B.

"I can do what I want too! I was coming to get a snack just like you're doing right now." 

"Do you want to hear a secret?"

Mello's eyes lit up in excitement.

_A secret?! B wants to tell me a secret? Me?_

He nodded eagerly.

"Of course I want to hear a secret! I won't tell anyone, I promise!"

A sly smile slowly creeped across B's face. He slowly drummed his fingers across the glass jar, circling his index finger around the rim. He sank his hand inside to grab the red jam. His tongue ran up and down each jam covered finger, a loud pop came from his lips as he sucked the last bit of jam off each of his fingertips. 

Mello watched in anticipation, anxious to hear the secret B was going to divulge to him.

"Come on B, tell me your secret!"

Wry laughter emerged from B's lips.

"Be patient Mello, I had to eat first. It's part of my persona." 

Mello tilted his head in confusion.

"Persona? Is that why you're dressed the way you are and your accent is gone? I can understand those things but what does jam have to do with it?"

"The jam is part of how L behaves, he's always eating something sickeningly sweet."

"How do you know tha-"

Mello stopped and widened his eyes in realization.

"You've met L?"

More wry laughter writhed in B's throat. B hunched over and walked towards the window. He sneered as he spoke into the darkness.

"Yes, I've met L. For you it's as if I've stared into the eyes of your God, but he's no God. He can and will be taken down."

"I don't think he's God. I think he's a lot like you, that's why I look up to both of you."

B's tone darkened and his accent returned. His knuckles turned white as he gripped the windowsill. 

"Interesting, you think I'm equal to L?" 

"Well I wouldn't say that, you bo-"

His tone was steady but sharp and icy when he interrupted Mello.

"What would you say then?"

"Before you cut me off, I was going to say you both have qualities that I admire. Both of you are intelligent, persistent, and passionate." 

"That doesn't answer my question. Do you think I'm equal to L?"

The room felt like it was closing in on the young boy. B's shadow loomed over Mello like a monster threatening to snatch him into the ground if he didn't answer correctly.

"I-I don't know what you want me to say B." 

"It's a simple question, figure it out."

His hands trembled as he ran them through his hair. 

"No, I don't think you're equal to L. L is more skilled than you."

The two stood in bone chilling silence for what felt like eternity. B hadn't moved from his spot in front of the window, he still had his back turned to Mello.

"B please say something."

B turned around to face Mello, he stared at the numbers floating above his head.

 _He still has time. He has enough time to see me destroy L and beat him at his own game._

"I'm not below L and I do not want to be equal to L. I want to surpass him."

"How do you plan on doing that?"

B's mouth twisted into a devilish smile. His persona voice returned.

"You'll see, just have some patience and everything will work out according to plan."

B walked over and grabbed an apple from the counter. He tossed it towards Mello and continued to speak.

"You need to go to sleep, it's late."

"I wish you'd quit telling me what to do. I can go to sleep whenever I damn well feel like it."

"Goodnight Mello."

B ruffled Mello's hair again as he walked past him and vanished into the dark hallway.

"There you are! What took so long, did you get lost?"

Mello's face was pale, he locked the door behind him.

"Matt I need to tell you something." 

Matt placed his game on his pillow and gave his full attention to his friend.

"What is it?"

Matt's expression went from shocked to similarly pale as Mello's once Mello finished telling him what happened in the kitchen. He twisted the stem off his apple as he spoke.

"What do you think he's going to do to L?"

"I don't think he's going to kill him or anything but it doesn't sound good."

"I told you B is scary. You should stay away from him."

Mello let out a frustrated sigh.

"He's not scary Matt. I just think the pressure of being a successor is getting to his head." 

Matt bit in to his apple, he talked and chewed at the same time.

"Suit yourself, it's your funeral."

"He's not going to kill us."

"Why did you lock the door then? You've never done that before."

Mello inhaled sharply, he hadn't even realized he locked the door.

"I'm not sure, maybe I was scared." 

"See? It's okay to admit it. Don't worry, if he comes in here he'll have to go through me first." 

B left the rest of their conversation to his imagination. He didn't want to hear the boys talk anymore about being scared of him.

_Have they always felt that way about me? I don't want them to be scared of me, I want to be their mentor. I'm a far better mentor than L could ever be to them, hell at least I'm actually around them. L can never say that._

B shoved his hands in his pockets and walked out of the front door of the orphanage. The cool air felt welcoming on his face. He walked alone through the darkness, the only time he could feel peace. No one around to constantly remind him of his cursed gift. He murmured to himself as he continued to walk to his destination.

"Just wait and see boys, you'll all look up to me one day. You'll recognize what it truly means to be a successor." 


End file.
